There are no active tornado warnings or watches in metro Atlanta after a series of strong storms prompted alerts in the western suburbs early Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service allowed a tornado watch for Cobb, Paulding, Douglas and Carroll counties to expire just before 5:30 a.m. Severe thunderstorm warnings have also come to an end on the Southside as conditions begin to improve.
The last warnings in effect for Butts and Jasper counties expired at 7 a.m., according to the Weather Service.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said the threat of severe weather is over, and heavy rain, lightning and strong wind gusts on the Southside will start to ease up before sunrise.
“To the north and the west, things are a lot quieter,” he said just before 7 a.m.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Overnight, a severe storm triggered a tornado warning in Cobb, Cherokee and Paulding counties, but there have been no reports of damage Tuesday morning. At least one person was killed when the same system moved through central Alabama on Monday night, and a tornado was reported north of Birmingham.
As conditions improve locally, Monahan said there is still a possibility of standing water on the roadways, making travel tough for the rest of the morning commute.
Warm weather provided fuel to the early morning storms, he said. Temperatures are in the upper 60s to begin the day, and Atlanta is headed for a projected high of 71 degrees.
It will feel like spring, Channel 2 meteorologist Eboni Deon said.
“We are going to see some clearing along with the warm temperatures,” she said. “You will actually be able to get outside without having to take the rain gear along with you.”
Deon expects the line of storms to clear metro Atlanta by 9 a.m., giving the city a chance to dry out under a mix of sun and clouds. Things will turn much milder Tuesday afternoon, with no severe weather in sight, according to Channel 2.
After a bit of a lull in the action, a cold front is expected to bring more rain to North Georgia on Wednesday morning. Deon said there is a 70% chance of early showers, but they should clear up by the afternoon.
Wednesday is not likely to see a repeat of the storms and severe weather, according to Channel 2.
“We’re drying out for the latter part of our work week, but by the time we get into the end of our weekend, rain will return on Sunday,” Deon said.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
It may be safer to venture out on the roads Tuesday morning now that the worst of the storms have passed, but conditions are not any better. WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum the rain and wet pavement was “absolutely crushing the Perimeter highway” at 7 a.m.
“Do not get on I-285, folks,” he said.
Authorities have worked multiple crashes along the interstate all morning, and the hits keep on coming. Arum suggests drivers take I-75, I-85 or surface streets to avoid getting stuck in the backups.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
About the Author
